It’s Allowed! Finally it’s December so we can run through the 12 Gifts of Christmas, tra la la la la la la la……

The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us again – Christmas! Time to show love to our favourite people by showering them with gifts. This year though, instead of buying everyone you know some last minute Christmas-Eve purchased Ferrero Rocher why not put in some more effort and give them one of these new, unusual – and in some cases more than others- useful gifts. Hannah Gunn’s Xmas hit list should keep you right….

1. Digitsole Smartshoe 001
£360, Digitsole.com

In the year 2016 only fools should have to face the indignity of bending down to tie shoe laces! That’s the beauty of the Smartshoe – it tightens on voice command, so as long as the recipient of this expensive gift doesn’t mind being seen in public shouting at their own feet, they’ll love them. Other useful perks include the ability to choose your ideal shoe temperature – they can heat up to 45 degrees.

2. Speak Out Game
£19.99, Argos

This game became a viral sensation after a video of it in action reached over 50 million YouTube views. The video, which features a lady sporting a large mouthpiece hilariously trying to say a variety of wordy phrases to her family, may be genuine but is rumoured to be a clever viral ad – what does it matter either way though when the most important thing is that it could provide the perfect way to relieve tension after your annual festive family argument. Idea – why not incorporate Speak Out INTO that family argument and make it more interesting?

3. Gorone Desk
£100, Ebay

Ah Japan. Always acutely aware of what the world needs next – and this year that is a desk which keeps your laptop vertical and allows you to use it without suffering the immense hassle of having to move from bed. A gift suitable for anyone who struggles with the idea of being upright for too long.

4.Hubsan X4 H107C Quadcopter
£49.99, Maplin

This little drone is mini in all respects, at only 4 inches long it flies a maximum of 100 metres and for a duration of 7 minutes but for this price it’s more about the fun – using a remote you can control where it goes and take high quality pictures and video which are automatically saved to an SD card. Give it to anyone who has a sense of fun or a sinister affliction for secretly watching people.

5. Bike Balls
£19.99, Firebox

The perfect gift for that one family member who loves to show their balls to people on dark foggy nights. All it takes to turn them on is a small squeeze, then Bike Balls will easily attach to any bike seat where they will cheerfully dangle and bounce, boosting the visibility of cyclists on the road in the dark and finally making it acceptable to flash your unmentionables at motorists.

6. Tile Slim
£48.99 for four, Amazon.

These little Tiles will come in particularly handy for the scatter brained amongst us. Attach them to anything that’s often lost and the Tile will allow you to set a ringtone and text the item from your phone – keys, wallet, dog…child- attach a Tile to it and never lose it under a sofa cushion again.

7. Pinot Meow
£9.00, Amazon

Do you feel a little sad when you turn to your cat on Christmas day and notice that he’s not drunk like everyone else? Feel like he knows he’s missing out? Don’t we all. Thankfully though, cat wine is a thing so now Whiskers can get just as wasted as you! Made of catnip and beetroot (no alcohol) his little liver will be safe from harm too. You can even decide if he’s a red or a white wine kind of feline as it comes in Pinot Meow and MosCATo varieties.

8. Tweexy Nail Polish Holder
£12

One of the simpler inventions on the list – yet no less useful. This nail polish holder makes one of life’s most fidgety tasks easier and lets you do it anywhere! Just attach it to your fingers and it will keep any nail polish bottle firmly in position, allowing easy nail painting whether you’re on the train, in the car (passengers only) or just in bed using your vertical laptop desk. A welcome gift for your busiest and most glamourous loved ones.

9. Kuchofuku Air Conditioned Clothing
between £200 and £400, Ebay

Back to Japan again where they have discovered the perfect passive-aggressive gift for that colleague who is forever determined to turn your office into The North Pole. Air-conditioned clothing. Kuchofuku.com stock a vast range of airy items- you can buy anything from a breezy blouse to some gusty jeans. Though at a costly price of up to £400 for one item, it’s a high price to pay to avoid simply telling your colleague that you’d prefer not to have the air conditioning on, still, needs must.

10. SleepPhones
£29.99, SleepPhones.co.uk

Potentially more practical than air-conditioned clothes, SleepPhones allow wearers to be sung to sleep without having to wear uncomfortable earphones in bed. They come with a Bluetooth adaptor which connects to any smart phone and allows control of whatever you want to listen to via a single button. A new version, TellyPhones, which connect to the TV are also available, allowing private listening which won’t disturb bedfellows. Perhaps the perfect present for your night-owl partner.

11. Livescribe 3 Smartpen
£166.35, Reichelt.com

Another genuinely useful (if a little pricey) gift for someone who struggles to keep themselves organised, the Livescribe pen allows you to write notes in a special notebook which are then automatically transferred to your computer. It also records audio as you write and can upload doodles and turn them into 3D digital drawings which can be edited as well as recognising dates and entering them into your calendar.

12. Ostrich Pillow
£14, Lightinthebox.com

Finally, the greatest of them all. We’ve all been there, it’s been a long and stressful day, you’re heading home on the bus or train and thinking; ‘I could really go for a nap right now but there’s nowhere to place my head.’ Well yet another of life’s problems have been swiftly eliminated with the invention of the Ostrich Pillow, now you can nap anywhere without looking even the slightest bit ridiculous. There is literally no-one on earth who does not need this pillow. Buy this for everyone, start a mass wearing of these so that we can all nap together without judgement.